Abrading machine



Oct. 30, 1956 L. ZWEIG ETAL ABRADING MACHINE 2 Sheets-Sheet 1 Filed June 28, 1954 3npentor (Ittorneg I FIG. 2

Oct. 30, 1956 L. ZWEIG ETAL 2,768,479 1 ABRADING MACHINE 2 Sheets-Shae: 2

Filed June 28, 1954 IN VENTOR ATTORNEY nited States Patent Office 2,768,479 Fatented Oct. 30, 1956 ABRADING MACHINE Louis Zweig and Abe Zweig, Brooklyn, N. Y., assignors to Zweig Eros, New York, N. Y., a partnership Application June 28, 195%, Serial No. 439,722

3 Claims. (Cl. 51109) This invention relates to an abrading device for cut ting, lapping, polishing and grinding. More particularly this invention relates to an abrading machine for use in the jewelry trades for working small, delicate handheld work pieces as is customary in the jewelry business.

One of the main objects of this invention is to provide an abrading machine which is most comfortable for the operator to work on thereby relieving fatigue and monotony and which therefore results in increased productivity and efiicieucy. Another important object is to provide, from a more comfortable position, visibility of the work piece while it is being acted upon by an abrading wheel.

Prior to this invention an operator experienced much difficulty and discomfort in hand holding small and delicate work pieces against a rapidly rotating abrading wheel during an abrading operation. Much of the difiiculty and discomfort entailed was due to the awkward positions the operator had to assume in order to carry out a desired abrading operation.

Abrading whee-ls prior to this invention were generally mounted in a vertical position on a horizontal shaft as shown in Geotfrion Patent No. 2,231,900. Because the abrading wheels were so mounted, it necessitated the operator to stoop or lean to one side in order to work on the abrading wheel. Such unorthodox positions would quickly tire the operator and cause him severe muscle and back strains thereby decreasing efiicien-cy, quality of work and productivity. Frequently'such strain would cause severe headaches and other physical disorders to such a degree that an operator would be forced to give up his work. Because of the skill required of a lapper or grinder in the jewelry business, the lost or inefficiency of such a lapper or grinder due to the physical aspect of the work, as existed prior to this invention, has been of much concern to the jeweler employer.

This invention overcomes the above disadvantages, and at the same time the operator may view the progress of his work from the same comfortable position while the work-piece is being worked upon by an abrading wheel.

Other and important objects of this invention are:

To provide an abrading machine that will greatly reduce the fatigue and experience needed for an operator while increasing the efliciency, quantity and quality of his work. 7

To provide an abrading machine which is adjustable to the size of the operator and also adjustable so that the angle of an abrading operation may be varied.

To provide for an abrading machine having an apertured abrading wheel substantially horizontal-1y mounted on a vertical shaft and drive means for rotating said wheel.

To provide for an abrading machine having a substantially horizontally mounted apertured abrading wheel and a speed control means for varying the speed of said To provide for an abrading machine having an apertured wheel horizontally mounted, and blower means to catch the minute particles of dust resulting from the abrading operation.

To provide a machine having a substantially horizontal abrading wheel and a guard therefor and having a magnifying means mounted on said guard.

To provide for an abrading machine having a supporting means on which the operator may comfortably rest his hand in which he holds the work-piece against a substantially horizontal-1y mounted split abrading wheel, directly in front of his body and from which he may view from above the progress of the abrading operation on the work-piece while the wheel is rapidly rotating.

The following objects and advantages are obtained by the disclosed operations and 'by the mechanical arrangements of parts or their equivalents as illustrated in the following drawings:

Figure l is a perspective view partly broken away to more clearly show the arrangement of parts of the abrading machine.

Figure 2 is a sectional view taken along line 2-2 on Figure 1.

Figure 3 is a perspective detail View of theguard and the magnifying means mounted thereon.

Figure 4 is a perspective view, partly broken away, of another modification of the invention.

Figure 5 is a perspective view of still another form of the invention.

Figure 6 is a detail plan view of the apertured type abrading wheel.

Figure 7 is an end view of said abrading wheel.

in the drawings like reference characters have reference to like structure.

The abrading machine illustrated generally in Figures 1 to 3 comprises a supporting means 10. Said support comprises a table top 11 supported by legs 12 each having a plurality of holes 13 at the lower portion thereof. Extentions legs 14 having a plurality of holes 15 are securedto each leg 12 by means of winged bolts 16 and nuts @17 for adjusting the height of the table top 1 1 above a floor to suit a particular operator. The adjustment is made by aligning a hole in the extention legs 14 with a hole 13 on leg 12 and securing said legs against relative movement by means of the winged bolt and nut. It will also be noted that the front and rear legs may be adjusted so that the rear of the support may sit higher than the front, thereby tilting the angle of the abrading wheel off the horizontal if so desired. Also it will be seen that by manipulating the various legs and their extentions the machine can be made to be stably supported on an uneven floor surface. The said support may likewise be tilted sideways as well .as forwardly.

A platform 18 is secured to the legs 12 below the table top 11 and substantially parallel thereto. The platform 18 adds rigidity to the support 10 and also supports the lower end of the vertical shaft 20 rotatably mounted in a suitable bearing 21. The speed control unit 42 maybe located on the platform as shown. Side wall 1 9 and rear wall 32 secured to corresponding legs give added rigidity to the support 10 and also support to the other features of the invention as will be shown.

The upper portion of the vertical shaft intermediate its ends is rotatably supported in a suitable bearing 22 located in the table top. A grooved pulley 23 is fixed to the v-er-tical shaft intermediate the lower 21 and upper 22 bearings. An electric motor 24 having a vertical spindle 25 is mounted on the side wall 19. A pulley 26 is fixed to said spindle and a belt means 33 connects the said pulleys 23 and 26 so that when the motor 24 is rotating it will drive the vertical shaft. 7

On the rear wall is mounted the electric motor 28 for operating the impeller unit 29 which creates a suction by which the. dust particles are collected in a collector bag 31. The purpose of the collector bag is to collect the gold dust and filings from the precious metals and stones worked upon. Dust accumulated is later filtered, sorted and sold.

An apertured or sight abrading wheel 34 having apertures or slots 36 extending radially inwardly is horizontally mounted on the tapered, threaded upper end of the vertical shaft 20. Apertures or slots 36 are substantially V shaped with the open end of the V on the periphery of the abrading wheel. Four such apertures or slots equidistantly spaced about the periphery of the abrading wheel are sufficient to permit observation of the work-piece during rotation. However, the number of slots may be varied to more than four depending on the R. P. M. of the wheel. it will be understood that the abrading wheel can be made of wood, felt, rubber or other abrasive compound having at least one side thereof used as an abrading surface. The wheel is horizontally mounted approximately six inches above the table top and substantially parallel thereto with the abrading or working surface facing the table top.

By so positioning the apertured wheel relative to the work top, the operator may comfortably rest his arms and hands on the said table top while the work-piece W (shown in Figure 2) is held against the abrasive or underside of the abrading apertured wheel. At the same time he may view from above the progress of his work because of the apertured wheel technique discussed in Geoffrion Patent No. 2,231,900.

Because of the specific arrangement set forth above, it will be noted that the operator may assume a normal sitting or sta ding position while the abrading operation is being carried out thereby eliminating physical discom forts and strains. Also because the forearms and hands of the operator may be directly rested on the table top, a more relaxed and less tiring position is achieved than has heretofore been had.

Another important feature is a safety guard 37 which is mounted on the support extending over the apertured wheel to protect the operator from the dust particles re sulting from the abrading operation. Within the confines of the guard is an opening 38 in the table top communicating with a conduit 39 leading to the impeller for drawing off the dust particles. A magnifying glass or window it) is mounted at the front of the guard by means of a hinge 41. The purpose of the magnifying window is to enable the operator to more clearly view the work-piece during the abrading operation, since much of a jewelers work is done on very small pieces and to a close tolerance.

A speed control unit 42 is shown and is electrically connectcd to the drive motor 24, whereby the operator may select the desired R. P. M. of the abrading wheel by means of a selector switch 43.

A switch box 44 containing switch 45 for starting the drive motor 2 and switch 46 for starting the blower system is mounted on the support. The said switches are connected to their respective circuits in a conventional manner; and may be hooked into either a series or parallel circuit as desired.

A lamp 47 having a goose neck extension 48 is conveniently mounted on the support which is readily adjustable to suit the operator so that more light may be directed on the wheel where lighting may be poor or insuflicient.

The operation of the machine is as follows:

First the machine is adjusted to fit the size or comfort of a particular operator. This is accomplished by adjusting the extension legs relative to the leg members. Then the operator selects the desired R. P. M. speed by turning the selector switch 43 to the desired position. Next the impeller circuit may be turned on.

The operator then positions himself in front of the machine so that the abrading wheel is directly in front of him and in the center of his body. The operator may be in a normal seated or standing position as desired. In either position the operator may comfortably hold a work-piece in his hands, having both his arms and hands supported by the table top, while the work-piece is held against the lower surface of the abrading wheel. Because of the apertured wheel structure the operator can view the progress of the work without stress or strain on the back muscles or forearms and hands. After the desired position is assumed the switch is actuated and the abrading process is started. If desired the switches 43, 45 and 46 may be located on the floor or on a lower portion of the supporting means so that they may be actuated by an operators foot. If more light is desired, the lamp 47 may be used and directed as desired.

The modification illustrated by Figure 4 comprises a support having a table top having leg structure similar to the legs described. A vertical wall member 51 extends below and above the table top 50 to support various structures to be described.

A wall bracket 52 is mounted on the upper portion of the vertical wall and substantially centrally thereof. A pair of arms 53 extend forwardly of the bracket, said arms terminating in upper and lower bearing members 54 and 55 respectively. A vertical shaft 56 is mounted in said bearings having a lower end 57 spaced from said table top. The lower end is threaded to support an apertured wheel 34. This wheel like the wheel described in the preceding modification is spaced substantially six inches above the table top 50 and mounted on the shaft substantially parallel to the top. Drive motor 24 is mounted on the upper wall portion and is connected to a grooved pulley 23 mounted on shaft 56 by means of a belt drive 27.

Guard 60 has an opening 61 in the top thereof as is shown in Figure 3 in dotted lines. This opening provides a means whereby the vertical shaft may pass through the guard 60. Other features of the guard are similar to that previously described.

The blower system including the motor 28, impeller 29, and collector bag 31 as previously described are mounted on the lower portion of the vertical wall.

The remaining features and operation of the modification illustrated by Figure 4 are as described for the machine illustrated in Figures 1 to 3.

Modification shown in Figure 5 shows the invention in a more simple form. A support comprising a table top 76 is hinged at its rear edge to a wall 71, which may be the wall of a room. The hinges 72 may be of any conventional form. The front edge of the table top is sup ported by means of a pair of legs member 73 andare hingeably connected thereto by means of front hinges 74.

On the wall portions extending above the table top is a wall bracket 52 supporting a motor 75 having a vertical shaft 76 directly connected to the rotor of the motor 75. It will be understood that the foregoing description of the modifications illustrated by Figures 1 to 3 and 4 may likewise be equipped with a direct motor drive as shown in Figure 5 if so desired.

The apertured wheel is similarly mounted on a tapered end of the directly connected vertical shaft as described in the foregoing paragraphs.

The important features of this modification is the storing of the table top and leg members as shown by the dotted lines; thereby occupying little fioor space in the stored position.

Legs members 73 are folded in the direction of the arrows a so that the legs lie fiat on the table top. Then the table top is swung in the direction of arrows "1) to completely store the table top against the wall support 71.

The guard, speed control unit, light and the impeller or blower system have been omitted from the modification of Figure 5 in order to show the invention in its simplest form, however, it will be understood that the afore-mentioned omitted units may be installed to the said device in the manner described relative to the modifications previously described.

Although we have described the preferred embodiments of our invention in considerable detail, it will be Understood that the descriptions thereof are intended to be illustrative, rather than restrictive, as many structural features may be modified or changed without departing from the spirit or scope of our invention. Accordingly, we do not desire to be restricted to the exact structures described, except as limited by the appended claims.

We claim:

1. In the combination of an abrading machine for working small, hand-held workpieces requiring an artistically precise abrading operation, the improvement of a support having a table surface and individually adjustable leg members connected thereto for varying the height and incline of said table surface; a substantially vertical shaft mounted on said support perpendicular to the plane of said table surface, said shaft having one end thereof tapered, said end being spaced a predeterminate distance above the said table surface; an abrading wheel having at least one abrading surface provided with a plurality of V-shaped apertures circumferentially spaced therearound, said apertures extending radially inwardly from its outer periphery, said wheel being adapted to be frictionally and removably mounted on the tapered end of said shaft so as to be horizontally disposed in substantially parallel relationship relative to said table surface, said abrading surface of said wheel facing said table surface, and said wheel being mounted on said shaft so as to be spaced above the table surface an amount sufficient for an operator to comfortably rest his arms and hands on the table while a handheld workpiece is positioned against the abrading surface of said apertured wheel, said apertures permitting viewing of the workpiece during an abrading operation thus affording a higher quality of precision; and means for rotating said shaft and wheel at variable speeds.

2. An abrading machine for working small, handheld workpieces requiring an artistically, precise abrading operation comprising a support having a table surface, a shaft rotatably mounted on said support substantially perpendicular to the plane of said table surface, said shaft having an end portion spaced from said table surface; means for variably rotating said shaft; an apertured abrading wheel having at least one abrading surface, said apertures consisting of a plurality of circumferentially spaced V-slots extending radially inwardly from the outer periphery and said wheel being frictionally and removably mounted on th end of said shaft so as to be substantially parallel to said table surface whereby said abrading surface faces said table, said abrading surface being spaced from said table an amount sufiicient for an operator to comfortably support his arms and hands holding the workpiece on the table surface as the abrading surface acts upon the object from above during the abrading operation, said apertures providing viewing of the object; a guard having a magnifying window pivotally mounted thereon enclosing the area about the Wheel to confine the abrasive particles within the area of the guard, said window facilitating viewing of the operation; and a particle collecting means operatively associated with said guard by which the abrasive particles are collected.

3. An abrading machine for working small, hand-held workpieces requiring an artistically precise abrading operation comprising a support having a top supporting surface, a shaft extending substantially perpendicular to the plane of said top rotatably mounted on said support, said shaft having an end portion extending beyond the top surface of said support, power means for rotating said shaft and an abrading wheel having circumferentially spaced apertures therein mounted on the end portion of said shaft extending beyond said top surface, said wheel being mounted on said shaft so as to be spaced from and substantially parallel to the plane of the top surface of the support so that an operator may comfortably support the workpiece between said top of the support and said abrading wheel whereby the operators hand is steadily and firmly supported on said top surface to insure an accurate abrading operation, said apertures facilitating visual observation of the workpiece during the abrading operation.

References Cited in the file of this patent UNITED STATES PATENTS 337,515 Phelps Mar. 9, 1886 667,579 Roemusch Feb. 5,1901 1,255,040 Ousley Jan. 29, 1918 1,374,075 Graham Apr. 5, 1921 1,378,831 Ashton et al May 24, 1921 1,386,539 Strock Aug. 2, 1921 1,946,864 Koestlin Feb. 13, 1934 2,020,977 Warner et 'al. Nov. 12, 1935 2,056,871 Silven Oct. 6, 1936 2,059,039 Sandman Oct. 27, 1936 2,111,782 Hudson Mar. 22, 1938 2,180,079 Wilkie Nov. 14, 1939 2,202,372 Butera May 28, 1940 2,229,598 Nash Jan. 21, 1941 2,231,900 Geofirion Feb. 18, 1941 2,251,442 Emmons Aug. 5, 1941 

